1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a word processor, more particularly to improvements of a word processor which are effective in selecting one expression from various expressions to elaborate a document or the like.
2. Art Background
There are two modes of editing of sentences using a word processor. The first one is conducted when contents of the sentences to be written have been determined. In this case, words are replaced with other more appropriate ones, or misspellings are corrected. These replacements and corrections are simple editing operations in which a certain character string in a sentence is designated and substituted with another character string. These operations can be performed by a conventional word processor.
The second mode of editing is called "elaboration", and is conducted when a certain portion of a document is to be substituted with another better expression. When elaboration is conducted, a person operating a word processor (the operator) may select the best expression from several better expressions which have been thought of by the operator. Usually, however, it is difficult to be sure about such selection. It is usually the case that the most suitable expression is selected by trial-and-error while better expressions are tentatively placed one by one in the position of the expression to be substituted and the tentatively amended documents are compared with each other.
For example, it is supposed that a character string "possesses a simple operativity" (hereinafter, referred to as "expression A1") in a document shown in FIG. 1 is to be elaborated. When other character strings "is easy in operation" (hereinafter, referred to as "expression A2") and "is easy to operate" (hereinafter, referred to as "expression A3") have been thought of by the operator as substitutes for the expression A1, the elaboration can be conducted by replacing the expressions A1, A2 and A3 with each other. Hence, each of the substitutive expressions must be input at each time when the elaboration is conducted.
Moreover, elements required in elaboration are not limited to eligible character strings. For example, features of the substitutive character strings (e.g., the expression A1: a mandarin style, the expression A3: a colloquial style, and the expression A2: an intermediate style) are also important elements in elaboration. When a single document is to be elaborated by a number of different people, it is convenient for the person who will elaborate the sentence later to record the name of the person who selected that character string and/or the reason for the selection. These fine functions are not provided it all, in prior word processors.
The document to be elaborated shown in FIG. 7 has another expression "is an article of a low price" (hereinafter, referred to "expression B1"). When another character string "is cheap" (hereinafter, referred to "expression B2") has been thought of by the operator, the expression B2 is substituted for the expression B1 after substituting the expression A1 with the expression A2. When the operator reads the sentence as elaborated, the operator may note that the style of the elaborated sentence is inconsistent because the expression A2 is somewhat stiff while the expression B2 is colloquial. Even if the operator decides to substitute the expression A2 with the expression A3 which is colloquial, the expression A3 has been already lost from the word processor. Therefore, the operator must input again the expression A3. Namely, in a conventional word processor, one portion of the document can be elaborated at one time. When another portion begins to be elaborated after the elaboration of the one portion, all of the candidate expressions except the finally elaborated expression in the previous elaboration operation are lost. In the case that the elaborated portion is to be further elaborated as a result of the elaboration of the other portion, the candidate expressions must be input again.
In this application, the term "word processor" means a variety of computer apparatus including a so-called word processor and other apparatus which can process words and/or documents using a computer.